From DANGER to DIGNITY: The Fight for Safe Abortion: Even though most abortions were illegal in the United States before 1973, they were still available. The outcome, however, often depended on a woman's financial situation. Most women who sought abortions risked their lives by going to practitioners who had little or no medical training. Hospital wards were filled with victims of unsafe procedures. There were some skilled physicians who agreed to terminate pregnancies for their wealthy private patients, charging thousands of dollars. And a small number courageous individuals - doctors, midwives, nurses and others – provided relatively safe, low-cost, humane but still illegal care.

From DANGER to DIGNITY weaves together two parallel stories: the evolution of underground networks that helped women find safe abortions outside the law, and the intensive efforts by activists and lawmakers to decriminalize abortion through legislative and judicial channels. This film combines rare archival footage with interviews that document the courageous efforts of those who fought to break the silence, change the laws and end the shame which surrounded abortion when it was a crime.

A DVD disc image (ISO) of this program can be downloaded from here.


This movie is part of the collection: Fadiman Social Documentaries

Director: Dorothy Fadiman, Beth Seltzer, and Daniel Meyers
Producer: Dorothy Fadiman, Daniel Meyers
Production Company: Concentric Media
Sponsor: KTEH-TV
Audio/Visual: sound, color
Keywords: Dorothy Fadiman; Concentric Media; Emmy Award; reproductive rights; women; women's rights; abortion; abortion laws; abortion legislation; abortion rights; women's history; women's health; pro-choice; pro-choice activism; personal stories; reproductive health; reproductive choice; medical issues; health care; public policy; human rights; underground networks; back alleys; women's history; legislators; clergy; doctors; gynecology; the Janes; clergy consultation; Pat Maginnis; Sarah Weddington; Roe v. Wade; Erika Luckett
Contact Information: Concentric Media www.concentric.org

Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs

Individual Files

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Reviewer: passionatefilms - - December 4, 2012
Subject: Let's be Honest
Some form of abortion has been around since women discovered herbs and tinctures that could help them when something wasn't right. What ever the reason or need, every women has and should keep the right to choose. That means every single option needs to be made available. But abortion is not going to just magically go away, even when it was not legal. This is about making them safe when they are needed. This film is sensitively done, and I for one am thankful for Dorothy's work on this issue.

Reviewer: DLopez - - November 27, 2012
Subject: Safety Is The Issue
I remember what it was like before Roe v. Wade. There weren't less abortions, but there was more women who died, were maimed, and left sterile. No woman should go through that. Ever. Dorothy's film highlights why.

Reviewer: xuxu102 - - October 2, 2007
Subject: A brilliant, moving piece
I have had 20 years of Catholic upbringing, and I can say that I am very glad that this film was made. The only person who should decide whether or not to have an abortion is the woman who is facing that decision, and her alone. No man, no institution, no system, NO ONE should take that decision away from her.

Reviewer: Claeyborn - - May 30, 2007
Subject: Safe Abortions...
Safe abortions=no abortions!

Credits

Producers: Dorothy Fadiman, Beth Seltzer, and Daniel Meyers
Production team: Danielle Renfrew, Kristin Atwell, Nila Bogue
Executive Producer: Danny McGuire
Music: Erika Luckett
Produced with KTEH-TV (PBS)